Ground Mounted Solar Panels: Top 3 Things You Need to Know in 2018

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If you’re looking for a way to bring renewable energy into your daily home life, there are a few options to choose from in this growing market. While you may only think of solar systems as rooftop solar panels to produce energy and electricity in your house—as these are the most popular and common forms of home renewable energy production—there are actually other options that may be much more beneficial for you.

We’re talking about ground mounted solar panels. These panels are fantastic solar energy options for those who aren’t necessarily thrilled about installing a bunch of solar panels on their roof—for whatever reason that may be. There are some things you absolutely must know before you even consider installing ground mounted solar panels—and this article will detail these points out so you don’t have to go far in searching for them!

What are ground mounted solar panels?

As you may have guessed from the name, ground mounted solar energy panelsare installed in the ground, instead ofmounted to the roof of your home. These solar panels work much as rooftop solar panels do; they bring energy and electricity into your household through the rays of the sun that hit the panels.

There are two main kinds of ground mounted solar panels: standard ground mounts and pole mounts.

Standard ground mounts are securely installed into the ground by using a metal framing that also helps keep these solar panels at a fixed angle to get the most out of the sunlight. Sometimes, these standard ground mounts are made to be adjusted throughout the year—if needed—to better account for the seasonal shifts that change the way the sunlight hits these panels.

Pole mounts are installed and elevated a bit higher off of the ground than standard ground mounts. These solar panels are attached to one single pole that then helps the panels get the most sunlight through a tracking system. A tracking system makes solar panels tilt in a way that they can get the most sunlight throughout the day, depending on just what the day holds.

For the most part, any time you can invest and use a tracking system attached to your solar panels, the more amount of energy, benefits, and savings that you will get in the long run. For the most part, it’s been said that tracking systems account for a 25% higher increase of solar panel energy production, which is quite a lot more than your average standard ground mount may be able to produce!

The three things you should know about ground mounted solar panels

1. They are great options for those who don’t qualify for rooftop solar panels

Honestly, they are one of the best options for those who don’t qualify for rooftop solar panels. Rooftop solar panels, while they seem to be the primary way to bring more renewable energy into your household, and the fact that they seem to be the most popular, come with their fair share of difficulties. For one, if the roof of your house has a skylight or chimneys or isn’t large enough to hold the number of solar panels you would need to power up your home, you wouldn’t qualify for solar panels.

And while you may think that rooftop solar panels are the only way to get the job done accurately, this actually isn’t true! The great thing about ground mounted solar panels is you can plan accordingly and make sure you install them on your land in an area where they will get the most sunlight and, therefore, be the most beneficial. Another common reason why people don’t invest in rooftop solar panels is because their house may be angled in a way where their panels won’t get enough sunlight or trees are blocking their view. With ground mounted solar panels, you can be sure this doesn’t happen by installing them in a specific area of your property!

2. They may take up a lot of land

One of the most significant benefits of having rooftop solar panels is the fact that they won’t take up any additional area. All you do is pop them up and install them on your roof and you’re done. This is where ground mounted solar panels differ.

You’re going to need to have some land on your property freed up and dedicated solely to these panels. This can be quite disadvantageous for those who don’t have a lot of land on their property (or who don’t have the area needed for the number of solar panels required to power their home). This can also make it impossible for those who don’t have landto begin with (mainly those that live in cities).

3. They are beneficial to all homeowners

While you may think that you only need ground mounted solar panels if you don’t qualify for rooftop solar panels, you can actually invest in these types of solar panels regardless of if you are eligible for rooftop or not! These types of panels are beneficial to all homeowners if they have the land to install them on!

For the most part, ground mounted solar panels seem to bring about the better investment just slightly more than rooftop solar panels. If you invest in a tracking system, the investment and benefits just keep on getting better! However, installing a ground mounted solar panels system is a bit pricier than rooftop panels, mainly because there are more construction and installation that needs to be done.

Ground mounted solar panels are viable options for all different type of homeowners but maybe even more beneficial to those who have land and possibly won’t benefit from rooftop solar panels. With tracking systems and a higher potential for your investment and benefits, ground mounted solar panels are fantastic ways to adapt to a more clean and renewable energy lifestyle in your daily home life! At the end of the day, renewable energy is always beneficial.

You should always make sure you have the best information available to you based off of the area you live in. Always contact a few different local solar companies in your area and learn more about their installation practices and prices before you decide on what would be the most beneficial option for you and your home!